My Colors. My Mind.

Celebrate the colors of your life and join our innovative multifaceted initiative that includes art therapy classes and a countywide mass media campaign to reduce the stigma of behavioral health conditions.

Our goals are to increase social inclusion, decrease discrimination and increase treatment-seeking among individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges.

Even though one in five Americans will experience behavioral health conditions in a given year, stigma in our society is still common. Stigma of behavioral health disorders involves negative stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice, and poor treatment – which often leads to shame, suffering, self-blame, and poor self esteem – and is a major barrier to access behavioral healthcare for those subject to stigmatization.

Click here for 2024 Creative Art Therapy Flyer

Creative Art Therapy Postcard

Art Classes For Everyone

Art has the power to heal, inspire, provoke, challenge and support mental health.

Creating art enables us to share our culture and our identity. It can help us better understand our emotions – like a mirror, reflecting back what we have created.

The Council on Aging – Southern California in partnership with the OC Health Care Agency is offering a variety of no-cost creative art therapy classes across Orange County. We want to encourage self-expression, self-discovery, and emotional growth in a non-judgmental atmosphere.

Through this creative process, we hope that community members can explore emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, improve self-esteem, and build awareness to reduce stigma surrounding overall mental health.

Creative Art Therapy Program Flyer

Creative Art Therapy Classes on YouTube

Creative Art Therapy Postcard

Healing With Art

Creative art therapy can be very valuable in treating issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some phobias.

It is a great way to express your emotions without words, process complex feelings and find relief. Benefits include:

Reduce Feelings of Isolation
Improve Cognitive Functions
Reduce Stress
Cultivate Emotional Resilience
Decrease Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Foster a Stronger Sense of Identity and New Relationships
Improve Communication and Concentration Skills
Build Self-Esteem and Confidence
Encourages the Development of Healthy Coping Strategies

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Creative Art Therapy Testimonials

Shin Ok, age 73 – “This art therapy class has been helping me get out of isolation which I have been doing after my husband died. I found a new love for painting. I get to express my emotions without using any words and it has provided me with comfort that I needed.

Catherine, age 79 – “I took this art therapy class as a challenge to myself, never having taken painting or drawing classes. It is such a pleasant escape into focusing into another world and another way of viewing the world in color values, light, and shape. This has given me something to enjoy within my current limitations of mobility.”

Huy, age 62 – “Art therapy class keeps me motivated by learning to improve my painting skills and I enjoy getting to know and socializing with other class members. I look forward to each class, and I cannot put into words the satisfaction and gratitude I feel when I see the paintings I gifted on the walls at my children and grandchildren’s homes.”

Maria, age 67 – “While I am painting, I forget my struggles and feel more peaceful and a sense of calmness. I enjoy being in this art therapy class because of the positivity it brings into my life through painting and for taking me out of isolation and allowing me to make new friends.”

Public Transit Campaign

The “My Colors. My Mind.” Stigma Reduction Campaign showcases the artwork of local older adults who have participated in our creative art therapy classes. The multicultural campaign is featured on buses and in bus shelters across Orange County. It is designed to shift the broader public, social, and structural perception about behavioral health conditions.

“My Colors. My Mind.” celebrates the unique talent of each artist. It embraces their vision, their experiences, and their story telling through art. The campaign aspires to remind us to take care of own behavioral health, to normalize behavioral health conversations, and to treat others with respect, dignity, and compassion.

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Meet Our Artists

Vivian Park

“It’s empowering to be able to do what I love at this age. For me, that’s painting. When I am feeling down, I want to pick up a paint brush and bring forth my inner world and emotions onto a canvas. Expressing my emotions through art makes me feel hopeful and motivated. I am very thrilled to have found a passion for art that I can continuously do and uplifts my life.”

Mr. Dien

“These workshops have given me a sense of belonging I never knew I needed. Surrounded by fellow companions, I feel alive again, embracing the vibrant colors of life and the warmth of newfound friendships. They’ve transformed my days into something truly beautiful.”

Cheryl Walsh

“I always was interested in art but did not have the opportunity to learn to paint until now and I am so glad that I did because it gave me a community that I belong to on a weekly basis. While I paint, all my worries go away and realize that the problems aren’t that big after all. I look at the world differently since started painting and I often wonder to myself thinking, ‘How can I paint this?’”

Eun Joo Hong

“I am delighted to have found a new hobby that I love! I didn’t have a hobby and I started painting through an art class offered by the Council on Aging Southern California. Completing an artwork requires endurance and motivation that can be challenging at times, but the satisfaction I get when I complete one is incomparable to anything, knowing that I have the ability to create a beautiful piece of art.”

Kyong Sook Jo

“I was not an art person before, so it was unexpected how much I fell in love with the creative process of painting. With acrylic painting, you start with a dark color so it may be doubtful that something beautiful can come out of it, but through perseverance and trying different methods, something beautiful arises in the end. I love that about acrylic painting. It challenges me and keeps me motivated.”

Hee Sook Choi

“Painting enhances my life. All the worries fade, the world becomes quiet, and my mind and heart become peaceful when I concentrate on painting. I express my emotions through art; you can tell how I am feeling by looking at the color choices I make and the overall mood of my art pieces. Painting has been very therapeutic for me, and I am happy to have found my creative outlet where I can freely express myself.”

Ms. Ay My

“Before these classes, my days were spent glued to the TV, feeling the weight of loneliness and depression. But now, I eagerly anticipate our gatherings, where laughter and friendship fill the room, and the TV remote control sits untouched.”